Voters have reelected City of Peekskill Mayor Vivian McKenzie to a third two-year term, unofficial election results show.

Other winners include her fellow Democrats Beverley Chang, Charles DiGruccio and Darren Rigger, for four-year terms on the Peekskill Common Council and Colin Smith for the Westchester County Board of Legislators, his fourth two-year term.

The mayoral and council race was called at an election night event held by Peekskill Democrats at the BeanRunner Cafe, Tuesday, Nov. 4, in which candidates took the stage and thanked voters for choosing them.

“We have really come a long way in bringing our city forward,” McKenzie said. “And I’m looking so forward to continuing to do that, so that each and every one of us can live here and just be happy and thrive and make sure that everyone else around us can do the same thing. Our city is just on the edge, and we’re pushing so that we can cross over and be the gem that we are.”

With 86 percent of the vote in as of 12:45 a.m., Wednesday, Nov. 5,  McKenzie had received 1,260 votes  (70%), compared to challenger Ramon Fernandez’s 532 votes (30%), according to unofficial election night results posted on the city Board of Elections website.

McKenzie ran as a Democrat while Fernandez ran as an independent under the Local Party line. Fernandez conceded the race at both an election event held at Ruben’s Cafe and moments later at the BeanRunner Cafe.

“I came here obviously to concede, to wish the best for the City of Peekskill, the best for the new council members, and obviously for Mayor McKenzie.” Fernandez said. “The first thing that I always say… the best for the administration is going to [be] best for everyone, for all of us.”

In his campaign, Fernandez told the Peekskill Herald his top priority was to lead a city built for people by improving services. His top issues were housing affordability, public safety, and quality of life. Fernandez, Rio Taxi operator and taxi driver, became a Democratic councilman in Peekskill in 2018. He chose to run for mayor instead of the council seat. 

McKenzie, a business owner and retired insurance professional, became the City of Peekskill’s first Black female mayor after she assumed office in 2022. She beat Republican candidate Emiliano Perez in an election in 2021 and was unchallenged in 2023.

In her speech, McKenzie highlighted being a “strong city” that takes care of each other, citing the city finding $65,000 last week to ensure those who lost their SNAP benefits had a meal; securing a day camp to Peekskill; and bringing housing and holding developers accountable, she said.

“These are all of the things that we are working on and we will continue to work on, plus more,” McKenzie said.

Joining the incumbent on the Common Council are Chang, DiGruccio, and Rigger who were facing off against Republican candidates Garrett Dowd and Elena Muniz-Walker.

“We have won all of our races tonight,” said Peekskill Democratic City Committee (PDCC) chair Steve Kollias. “We’ve shown that the Peekskill Democratic City Committee is still strong, it’s still powerful… and that our endorsed candidates will always win.”

Top issues among the slate included affordable housing, public safety, smart and balanced development, youth investment and opportunity, aging infrastructure, accessible and responsive government, and quality of life.

Chang, a physician assistant, thanked the PDCC, who convinced her to run, as well as her family, the greater Peekskill area chapter of the Westchester Black Women’s Political Caucus, and everyone who voted for and donated to her.

“I’m looking forward to working for the people,” Chang said. “I plan to be open, available to everyone. So hopefully it will be a good ride.” 

DiGruccio, a high school English Language Arts teacher, echoed Chang’s sentiment, thanking everybody for their support and encouragement.

“It seems like yesterday when I was nominated in this very space, and it’s been an amazing ride to get to know my neighbors and community, and we received very well,” DiGruccio said. “And I’m so excited to do the work and to keep moving Peekskill forward.”

Rigger, a business owner and community advocate, is returning to the Common Council after having previously served.

“I want to thank everyone here, all of our supporters, and especially all the Democratic district leaders,” Rigger said. “I’ve been a district leader for over 20 years. You guys are out there passing the petitions and putting out the signs and doing all the work and we absolutely stand on your shoulders.”

 As of 12:40 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, Rigger received 27 percent of the votes (1,334), Chang received 25 percent (1,241), DiGruccio received 25 percent (1,258), while Republican candidates Muniz-Walker received 12 percent and Dowd received 11 percent (526).

Dowd, an attorney, told the Peekskill Herald in a phone call that he was still digesting the results of the election. “It is certainly an uphill climb in Peekskill for people on my side of the aisle,” Dowd said.

Muniz-Walker, a former director of product development engineering for an international manufacturer, declined to comment.

Top issues among the duo included the city’s handling of fiscal and management organization in city government, business and job development, the continued increase in cannabis businesses in Peekskill, and proposed changes to the Kiley Center and housing.

In the race to represent Westchester County District 1 (Peekskill, Cortlandt, Yorktown), the Democratic and Working Families incumbent Colin Smith easily won his bid against Republican candidate Kevin Byrnes. Voters also reelected incumbent Democrat Ken Jenkins over Christine Sculti in the race for Westchester County Executive, according to unofficial election night results.

‘This is what democracy is all about’ — Ramon Fernandez Reflects

by Jeffrey Merchan

Around 30 supporters gathered at Ruben’s Mexican Cafe on the evening of Nov. 4, hoping to see Councilman Ramon Fernandez become Peekskill’s first Hispanic mayor. 

Instead, at around 9:40 p.m., the mayoral candidate stepped onto the small stage in the restaurant and graciously conceded to incumbent Mayor Vivian McKenzie.

McKenzie, a Democrat first elected to the Common Council in 2013 before becoming the first Black female mayor in 2021, celebrated her victory alongside fellow Democratic candidates up the street at BeanRunner Cafe. 

Fernandez, who failed to secure an endorsement for mayor from the Peekskill Democratic City Committee in January, ran as an Independent during the election. He also tried to challenge McKenzie in 2023 but withdrew after not being selected by the party’s nominating committee. Fernandez is an operator and taxi driver for Rio Taxi.

Throughout his campaign, Fernandez publicly noted his priorities were improving city services, as well tackling housing affordability, public safety, and quality of life. 

Speaking in both English and Spanish, Fernandez thanked his campaign team and family for their dedication during his loss speech. “This is what democracy is all about,” he said. “All those people who went and voted for something different are Peekskill residents who deserve to be heard.” 

He congratulated McKenzie, adding, “If she’s doing well, Peekskill is going to be well – and all of us want that.”

Reflecting on the results, Fernandez acknowledged the uphill challenge of running against the established Democratic ticket but expressed gratitude for the community’s support. “The numbers show there are people here that deserve to be heard – and I’m going to try to keep working with the community. That is my goal,” he said.

Fernandez told the Peekskill Herald he plans to take a step back from politics to focus on family and personal life, though he promised to stay active locally. “I’m going to be driving the taxi, working with the people, and focusing on the community.”

Fernandez will complete his term on the Peekskill Common Council at the end of 2025, marking seven years of service since first being elected in 2017.